A contentious legal battle between artist Akiane Kramarik and Carole Corneliuson of Art & SoulWorks is well underway. The artist earned worldwide acclaim after an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show when she was only nine. Since then, her art has been reproduced and sold around the globe. As financial discrepancies emerged and poor reproductions of Kramarik’s work came to light, legal action was taken to dissolve the business relationship and prevent Art & Soulworks from selling more of Kramarik’s work.
At what point might a David become a Goliath? Some would say that Litigation Finance is the catalyst for such a transformation. Take the case of Akiane Kramarik and the famed portrait of Jesus she painted at age nine. Over the years, she’s been the subject of television appearances, media events, and even a big-budget film. But as she grew up, missing royalty payments and other shady dealings began to emerge.
When we think of Litigation Finance, our impulse might be to envision well-capitalized funders assisting large companies. The founder and CEO of Legalist, Eva Shang, sees the business differently. Her model is one of David v. Goliaths—helping the little guys that other funders may overlook.
